Jane Meredith Adams/EdSource Today

Odalys Rodriguez, an eighth- class peer leader in Restorative Justice, talks on a panel near her work at Edna Brewer Eye Schoolhouse in Oakland Unified. Alternative disciplinary practices is merely ane way the district is attempting to overcome the impacts of poverty on its students.

Jane Meredith Adams/EdSource Today

Odalys Rodriguez, an 8th- grade peer leader in Restorative Justice, talks on a panel virtually her work at Edna Brewer Middle School in Oakland Unified. Alternative disciplinary practices is just one way the commune is attempting to overcome the impacts of poverty on its students.

Harvard University's Graduate Schoolhouse of Instruction has chosen Oakland as one of six cities beyond the nation to participate in a new project aimed at helping city, school and community leaders work together to eliminate the link betwixt children's socioeconomic condition and their academic achievement.

Oakland was called "because of the demonstrated leadership the city has shown in its commitment to serving all children and youth well every bit seen in its recently announced Oakland Promise initiative," said Bridget Rodriguez, associate director of programs and operations for the Education Redesign Lab, which will exist implementing the projection for the academy.

Harvard chose cities that are working to close the achievement gap between low-income and higher-income students and that "are poised to make progress toward that goal," she said.

In January, Oakland announced a new program aimed at tripling college graduation rates amongst its students. Chosen the Oakland Promise, the metropolis, district, Alameda Canton, the East Bay Higher Fund, and business and customs organizations take agreed to back up depression-income children from birth until they graduate from college. The metropolis is analogous the efforts, said David Silver, Mayor Libby Schaaf's policy director for education.

Part of this initiative includes a $500 college fund started for babies born in depression-income families and another $500 for the families if they ensure their children are kindergarten-set by participating in home visits from public wellness nurses, preschool and other programs that help children succeed academically. Offset in 2015-16, the Oakland Hope will besides contribute $100 to a college fund for every kindergartner attending public schools in Oakland.

"Research shows that if you have a higher savings business relationship of at least $100, you are three times as likely to go to higher," Silver said.

The Oakland Promise also includes scholarships for high school graduates and college and career centers at every middle and high school. Counselors will also be provided to help high school graduates stay in higher. The initiative is expected to take almost four years to implement at a price of $38 million. Afterwards the implementation, the program is expected to cost $35 million annually. So far, $25 million has been raised.

The Oakland Promise builds on the district's efforts to create community schools that provide after-school programs, health clinics, mental health counseling and alternative disciplinary practices such as Restorative Justice. These efforts are aimed at helping students face the trauma of their everyday lives in impoverished and fierce communities.

"This is a motility," Silver said. "Everyone is moving in the aforementioned direction."

Silver said the urban center and district are excited to participate in the Harvard program. "We tin find out from the other cities what works and what doesn't," he said. "We're non wedded to one way."

For its part, Rodriguez said Harvard "does not have a silver bullet, but our faculty take a lot to offering." The academy'south role in the initiative, dubbed "By All Ways: Redesigning Education to Restore Opportunity," will exist to provide support for the efforts already being undertaken by Oakland and the other five cities, she said. Those cities include three in Massachusetts – Salem, Somerville and Newton; Louisville, Kentucky; and Providence, Rhode Island.

During the three years of the initiative, Harvard volition hold 5 convenings of urban center, district and community leaders from each of the six cities so they can also learn from each other. In addition, the academy will provide function-time consultants for each metropolis, who tin can help them with problems they may encounter equally they attempt to implement changes.

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